Thought provoking article.

[the other bob wilson]

"For those who still see the rainbow arcing over the town while everyone else is buried in their phones, life in the real world can feel lonely."

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...atters-fascism

[jon1959]

I think he is right that a retreat into a virtual reality world has only just begun. The pace of change though is alarming.

What often surprises me is that so many hikikomori  are not teenage nerds but older adults who got most of their life experiences before the internet age gave them an alternative world to inhabit and share.

[Vimana.]

Troubling article - particularly as there is no indication that things will ever veer from the path already taken.

I'm, going to say it - I genuinely worry about 'the future'.
Maybe for a number of reasons - but -

While it is, and ever was, always the case that we must hand over the reins to the following generations - these times are their times now - it seems ever more certain, simply, and evidently based on what is already happening, that there will be way less real-world humanity and far less compassion between humans.
Heaven help the 'bothersome' and 'needy' elderly who might take up time, effort and money in 20 - 30 years time.

I'm sure every generation has muttered it before, or similar, when they get to 'middle age' but has there ever been the degree of fundamental change that there has over the last 20 years?
Society has surely not been so clearly uninterested in the concept of being humane, so nakedly uncaring and often outright unpleasant for quite some time in our social history. But this is already now accepted as absolutely normal by so many.
Bravo Brave New World.
So I guess it is my time to mutter it, but I genuinely believe that society really is f***ed this time, probably beyond salvation.

For all it's otherwise positive aspects, Social Media has evidently become the most gruesome jack-in-the-box.
I also suspect that situations are being orchestrated - but that is another discussion altogether.

Apols, I externalised a bit there! I am genuinely, and increasingly bothered/worried by 'it all'.

[rs3100]

Troubling article - particularly as there is no indication that things will ever veer from the path already taken.

I'm, going to say it - I genuinely worry about 'the future'.
Maybe for a number of reasons - but -

While it is, and ever was, always the case that we must hand over the reins to the following generations - these times are their times now - it seems ever more certain, simply, and evidently based on what is already happening, that there will be way less real-world humanity and far less compassion between humans.
Heaven help the 'bothersome' and 'needy' elderly who might take up time, effort and money in 20 - 30 years time.

I'm sure every generation has muttered it before, or similar, when they get to 'middle age' but has there ever been the degree of fundamental change that there has over the last 20 years?
Society has surely not been so clearly uninterested in the concept of being humane, so nakedly uncaring and often outright unpleasant for quite some time in our social history. But this is already now accepted as absolutely normal by so many.
Bravo Brave New World.
So I guess it is my time to mutter it, but I genuinely believe that society really is f***ed this time, probably beyond salvation.

For all it's otherwise positive aspects, Social Media has evidently become the most gruesome jack-in-the-box.
I also suspect that situations are being orchestrated - but that is another discussion altogether.

Apols, I externalised a bit there! I am genuinely, and increasingly bothered/worried by 'it all'.

I would say we are definitely closer to dystopia than we are to utopia.

[life on mars]

I'm glad I'm at the back end of my life, don't envy younger folk.

[Vimana.]

But wait ...!

https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...phone-industry

Is there an imperceptible shift away from data / info /social bombardment? ;)